I’ve also copied the final list of tenants on the Coliseum Mall website. I need to straighten them up before posting them though. One day this past summer I wrote down every tenant I could remember as well, I need to type that up. If no date is mentioned for the anchors, that means I need help with it.
Anchors
J.C. Penney (1973-present)
Thalhimer’s/Hechts/Macys (1973-present)
Korvettes (1973-early 1980’s)
Smith & Welton
Rices-Nachmans
Hess’s [in former Rices-Nachmans place]
Montgomery Ward [in former Korvette’s place] (1985 or 1986-2001)
Children’s Palace Toy Store [former Smith & Welton location](I know this place closed up shop in about 1992)
Proffits [former Rices-Nachmans and Children’s Palace](early 90’s-1996)
Dillards (1997-2003)
Barnes & Noble (2002-ish to present, slated to come back when Peninsula Town Center opens)
Burlington Coat Factory (2003-present)
Tenants:
{no specific order}
Steve and Barry’s (opened 2003, closed 2006)
Lane Bryant (lord knows I gave them thousands of dollars though the years)
Rave
Bath & Body Works (another store I gave gobs of money too)
Disney Store (closed in either 1999 or 2000 or 2001)
Hallmark
Life Uniforms
Spensers Gifts
Clare’s Boutique (closed 2006)
Lens Crafters (this and Bath and Body works were the last places I ever went to at Coliseum)
Legends
The Sports Fan
The Gap
Ashley Stewart
The Icing
Fredrick’s Of Hollywood (closed 2007?)
Victoria’s Secret (closed 2005?)
Lerners
New York and Co.
Sunglass Hut
Shoe Dept.
Deb
Stewart’s/Stewart’s Plus (gave this place money in middle school and 9th grade, closed in 1997)
Everything’s A Dollar
A Dollar
Wilson’s Leather
Foot Locker/Kids Foot Locker/Lady Foot Locker
Ingle’s Nook
K&K Toys/Kay Bee Toys
This End Up
Waldenbooks
Camelot Music/FYE
Casual Corner
Afterthoughts (closed 1999?)
Chic Wigs
American Eagle
Payless Shoes (right next to Wards I remember!)
Trade Secret
Carlton Cards (closed 2006)
Up Against The Wall
Glamor Shots
Raw Blue
Vitamin World
GNC
Eateries
Corn Dog On A Sick
Cinnabon (closed about 2003)
Chick-a-Fila
Sabarro
Orange Julius (closed about 1996)
Wendy’s
Dairy Queen (opened in about 1997 or 1998)
“The Sandwich Shop (I didn’t see it when I visited in 2005)
The Coffee Beanery (closed 2005?)
Piccaddily Cafeteria (closed 2004?)
Mrs. Fields Cookies
Blimpie
***I know there are many more! Please help me add them to the list!****
That Mall is sick and that Store is dead! 
Korvettes went out in 1980. Wards moved in 1985. Nachman’s was the original tennant, and merged with Rice’s department store to form Rice’s-Nachman’s in the late 1970s. Hess’ bought them out in 1988/89. Smith and Welton were an original tennant that went out in 81/82. Children’s Palace went in around 1985. Proffitts was only in from like 1994/1996.
ATTENTION: There is a front page article about the death of the Mall on today’s (1/12/07) Daily Press.
Comment by Silver Blue — January 12, 2007 @ 8:17 pm |
Ok. Here’s a few more for you: Musicland/Sam Goody (which used to be by Thalheimers, moved down to where B&N is/was, and then moved beside “Lin’s” clothing store. Charge was beside K&K Toys. You don’t list Kays, Zales, Gordons, Whitehall, or Reeds jewelers. Old Navy and the store that followed it Country Seat (outside of Hechts). Gents used to be in the Rices/Nachman’s wing, and moved to just outside Macy’s when they tore that wing down. There used to be a San Fransico Music Box Company store, just beside Spencer’s Gifts. There was a Candy! Candy! store, as well as Time Out Arcade, Blue Hawaiian Restaurant (which is where Time Out moved to), Picadilly Cafeteria, Hair Cuttery, The Movie Theaters, Mr. Green Jeans (where Carlton Cards was — it was a health food eatery), Rainbow, Victoria’s Secret (which closed in 2006), Fine’s Men Store, American Eagle, Hallmark, Singer/Specs, Electronics Boutique, Things Remembered, Sea Dream Leather, WaldenBooks, Jen & Jerry’s (yes, Jen, it when where the old Cinnabon was), Reggies Carolina BBQ (went where Orange Julius was, now exists in the shell of iNet Center (former Newmarket North), beside Picadilly outisde of Sears), Subway (it was beside Dairy Queen, after Quizno’s jetted from the place, Hughes Haircraft (which was been there forever), African Traders, Trade Secret, Eye Candy (Ladie’s (sic) Fashions), Ritz Camera, Hobby House, Pet-Go-Round, Radio Shack, Dinh’s Tailors, and Young’s Tailors. That’s the best I can do from memory right now.
Comment by Silver Blue — January 13, 2007 @ 1:55 pm |
There was a movie theater as well as a La Vouge Womans store with a fountain out front. Blue Hawaii and a doughnut shop. Back in the day the movie theater was the only place opened on sundays as well as the Blue Hawaii
Comment by Joe Bunting — August 14, 2007 @ 9:10 am |
I might have a microfilm printout of the LaVouge. I’ve been meaning to do an entry on my Coliseum Mall microfilm printouts I got back in March.
Comment by Anita — August 14, 2007 @ 10:26 am |
That’s “La Vogue”. Richmond-based chain of higher-end women’s clothing shops. They had a run back in the 1970’s where they were doing some interesting things to their stores, tending to a “French Quarter” sort of design and actually setting up their stores so it gave the appearance that the different departments were actually separate specialty shops. Great-looking stores in places that today don’t get great-looking stores (Cloverleaf MAll in Richmond comes to mind).
Comment by Dave McGrann — August 21, 2007 @ 5:45 am |
Oh, and an update. I don’t have a microfilm print out of the LaVouge store. I think I saw it, but I was running out of time that day.
Comment by Anita — August 21, 2007 @ 12:50 pm |
Hey, you forgot “Games & Gadgets” (later re-named) where I worked in 1984. Maybe this list isn’t even supposed to be every store ever in the Coliseum Mall, I just wanted to put in for where I’d been.
Comment by Neil B. — September 14, 2007 @ 10:12 am |
G&G turned into Electronics Boutique some years later. I was always in G&G. The dramatic intro to my game review here took place at Games & Gadgets and then down the street at Chi-Chi’s. 🙂
http://toucharcade.com/2012/12/19/karateka-review-marikos-fate-is-in-your-hands/
Comment by Blake Patterson — February 26, 2014 @ 2:01 pm |
I stumbled on this site doing a search for corn dog on a stick. I grew up in Hampton and was always at the Coliseum mall. How could you forget “I Love Teriyaki” That place was the best. The place that sold ice cream and other treats across from the sports fan (I forget the name) was also good, but it was torn down in the mid ninties. Uptown Fashion was the name of the store that sold hip hop clothing I believe. Cant forget that airbrush place that was open for awhile to (there were 2 different ones in different spots, one was near the security station). Also that place that sold milkshakes near the arcade, I forget the name.
Comment by M. — December 28, 2007 @ 2:04 am |
The arcade was Sega Time Out right down from Children’s Palace…this was in the early 90s.
Comment by Brandon Joslin — February 19, 2020 @ 8:04 am |
There used to be the big Mother’s Records store in the 80s, maybe into the 90s. And I remember spending a lot of my allowance on teenybopper accessories at some store which I think was called “Bejeweled.”
Comment by Jennifer — December 30, 2007 @ 7:03 pm |
Wow, found this site through a link somewhere and I gotta say it is very nostalgic. I grew up in Hampton from 77 till 01 and just recently came back to the area. With so much changing it was nice to find all this old great stuff.
Who remembers when the mall was Orange with the square waterfall in front of JC Penny? There are a couple stores that come to mind like Merry Go Round, I remember cause i bought my first parachute pants there. For Yougurt’s Sake which was owned by Tom Gear where I worked when I was like 16. Ole the old old old jewelry piercing place that sat in front of Penny’s right next to where the Candy store was in a later lifetime.
And I can’t believe noone has mentioned Lazy Shirts, the distinct smell of the pressing machine as ya came in and got to pick from literally 100’s of different iron ons and have your shirt made right there.
Their was an old pizza type parlor that stood out cause it had the swivel chair style seating, was right next to the theaters and Time Out. And there was a quirky odds and ends store that sat right across from it on the corner by Mothers, who can forget the bright red shag carpet walls with the lockable cassette displays, had a black and gold stripe across the top of it and I bought of all things an Abacus.
Limited and Limited Too, only remember cause my sister used to shop there and the girls shopping there were hot 🙂
Spencers
Children’s Palace
Children’s Palace
Comment by Patrick Scalet — May 28, 2008 @ 1:29 pm |
>>And I can’t believe noone has mentioned Lazy Shirts, the distinct smell of the pressing machine as ya came in and got to pick from literally 100’s of different iron ons and have your shirt made right there.<>Who remembers when the mall was Orange with the square waterfall in front of JC Penny? <<
I only have blurry memories of the mall being orange.
In the mid 1990’s, there was a fountain in front of JC Penney, but around the 1998 remodel, it was taken out.
Comment by Anita — May 28, 2008 @ 5:12 pm |
There were also: The Hobby Shop, Nicholas Alexander Hair Graphics and David Jones Locker..
Comment by smoothjazz26 — September 23, 2008 @ 7:39 pm |
In October of 1973, if you started at Korvettes & walked along the right side of the mall (avoiding the pit in the middle where various entertainments were staged), you would pass: Doctor Pet Center, Burger Chef, Stredlers, Walden Cards, Wornom’s Crafts, Orange Bowl, Bresler’s 33 Flavors Ice Cream. Make a 90° right-turn. Bresler’s is still on your right, then Lois’ Clothes Line, Wigs, Knits, Artist Palette, Mutual Federal Savings & Loan. Turn 180°: on your right = Blue Hawaii Restaurant, Brides Shop, Gordon Jewelers. 90° right-turn: Gordon’s is still on your right, then Hanover, Richard Staub Fashions, K&K Toys, Walden Books, Willner’s, Hofheimer’s, Hanna’s, So-Fro Fabrics, Egerton & Lea, Baker’s, Forbes Candy, The Pampered Chef. Turn right, 90°. The Pampered Chef is still on your right, followed by Doughnut Shop, Leather ‘n’ Wood, ABC Kiddie Shops, and Dominion Bank. 180° turn. Picadilly Cafeteria, Bavarian Pretzel, D.P. Paul Jewelers. 90° right-turn. D.P. Paul is still on your right, followed by O’Neil’s Hallmark, Thom McAn, Susie’s Casuals, Spencer Gifts, La Crepe, La Vogue, Russell & Holmes, Ed Michtom’s, Clover Patch. Straight ahead is Rice’s-Nachman’s. 180° turn. On your right: Spertner’s, Mary Perkins, The Swiss Colony, Aquarius Gifts, Park Lane Hosiery. 90° right-turn. Pappy Jr., Health Food Center, Time Out Amusements, General Cinema, Galeski Optical, Hammond Organ, Temple Of Music. If you wanted to go around the corner to the right, Pappy’s Family Restaurant was there; if you did a 180 instead, on your right: Towels ‘n’ Stuff, Mitchell Tuxedo, Hip Pocket, Tape Deck, Variety Records, Gallery “G”, Cal’s Closet. 90° right-turn. Cal’s Closet is still on your right, followed by Olé. 90° right-turn. Sound House. 90° LEFT-turn. J C Penney. 90° LEFT-turn. Regal. 90° RIGHT-turn. Regal, Tobak Ltd., Wicks & Sticks, My Maternity, Morse, Davy Jones Locker, Kinney Shoes, Lerner’s, Fine’s Mens Shop, Foxmoor, Chess King. 90° right-turn. Chess King, Foxmoor again, Barber Shop, Taylor Burgess Beauty Salon, Mall offices. (American Finance was through the outer doors on the left side). 180° turn. On your right: Optometrist Associates, Foliage Shop. Final 90° right-turn. Foliage Shop, Merry Go Round, Parisian Shop, Topper’s, World Bazaar, Fashion Bug, Anderson-Little. Straight ahead: Korvettes.
Comment by Cathy — November 21, 2008 @ 10:22 pm |
This is awesome. I wish I could get more old photos of Coliseum.
Comment by Anita — December 16, 2008 @ 1:03 am |
What about the only drugstore of that time, although short lived it was called Streddlers? It was my first job…it closed under very suspicious circumstances. Does anyone recall if this?
Comment by Sheela — January 11, 2016 @ 9:07 am |
Does anyone remember Crown bookstore?
Comment by Jason — May 14, 2009 @ 8:27 pm |
I have a commercial for Crown that I’ve been dying to put up.
Comment by Anita — May 14, 2009 @ 8:31 pm |
A commercial?! Wow…I never knew they were big enough to have commercials!
Comment by Jason — May 15, 2009 @ 4:33 pm |
It’s off of a tape a friend sent me who lives near Chicago.
//edit//
Oh, and one of those airbrush stores was called “Against All Odds”, this was 1995. Everybody at Syms Middle School had them!
Comment by Anita — May 15, 2009 @ 4:35 pm |
I have been trying to find (for quite a while) information & pictures from 1973-75 of the Rice’s Nachmans
Royals Ambassadors. We modeled clothes,did Rock-a-thons, and other community service. Does anyone remember? I can’t remember the names of the other girls. I do have 2 photos, but there not real clear.
Thanks for any help,
Karen
Comment by Karen — August 22, 2009 @ 9:49 pm |
no photo, but I was one of the girls. Fond memories are the days gone by. I’m still living in the area.
Comment by Beverly Suhre — November 27, 2014 @ 8:45 am |
Don’t forget Penns Gifts and Luggage. That places was so cool. They had really neat stuff and those cool Casio calculators from the 1970’s.
Comment by Davif — March 26, 2010 @ 2:40 pm |
I spent so much time in that mall growing up. I lived in Yorktown but we came often, weekly at least, my mom and I. I recall that orange mall. In late 1982 I got my first home computer from Singer (the sewing machine store), which sold Atari, Commodore, and Texas Instruments machines, and later Sanyo also. Great memories there in the late ’70s thru ’80s.
Comment by blakespot — March 9, 2013 @ 4:00 pm |
[…] this time, my mom would take 10-year-old me with her twice a week, more or less, to the local mall, Coliseum Mall in Hampton, VA. I loved that place. My mother was a “housewife,” and sewing was a big […]
Pingback by My First Computer Thought It Was a Sewing Machine | Byte Cellar — March 11, 2013 @ 6:05 pm |
There was a place in there where we would get hot roasted cashews. This was probably 1975 and 76. I was 8 and 9 at the time.
Comment by Andrew — January 20, 2014 @ 10:44 am |
Down towards Thalhimer’s, near Summit Stationers was a computer, stereo, etc. store called Computers & Electronics. It was on the left side as you walked away from Thalhimer’s. It was there in 1984-5 at least.
Comment by Blake Patterson — February 26, 2014 @ 2:02 pm |
I know there was a tee shirt store in the central part of the Mall. You could get lettering ironed on. I think it was 1981 / 82?
Comment by Patrick — January 25, 2015 @ 2:44 am |
You just made me remember an air brush tshirt in the mall in 1995 called “Against All Odds”. It didn’t last long, but the kids at my middle school loved those shirts. They were where the Barnes & Noble was the last few years of the mall.
Comment by Anita — January 26, 2015 @ 11:29 pm |
I remember a pizza place in themall that was on the corner near Rices and Nachmans. It had the best burgers and pizza. Does anyone know the name of the restaurant and if they’re still in business?
Comment by Renee Faison — June 10, 2015 @ 7:20 pm |
Anna’s? That was the big pizza “local chain” in Hampton for forever.
Comment by Anita — September 5, 2015 @ 10:37 pm |
It was Golden Pizza
Comment by Everett — January 13, 2016 @ 3:09 pm
Hey Renee, that was my favorite pizza spot too!!! It was called Golden Pizza, but I’ve never found them again once they closed down. I used to buy slices as big as a paper plate and they had Hawaiian Punch too…Spent many days buying music from Mother’s Records and then stopping in there for a quick sit-down and then hitting The Original Cookie Company for some hot, out-of-the-oven, ooey gooey chocolate chip cookies.
Comment by Ted Winright — January 3, 2020 @ 10:06 pm |
The Golden Pizza signs hangs in the Anna’s Pizza in Hilton Shopping Center in Newport News.
Comment by Katie — December 26, 2022 @ 11:18 am
[…] The Big List Of Coliseum Mall Tenants Past And Present […]
Pingback by Remembering Coliseum Mall | Nostalgic Virginian — July 23, 2015 @ 10:55 am |
Don’t Forget “Pappy’s Pizza” & “Harvey’s Warehouse” !!
Comment by Mykey D — March 28, 2017 @ 8:31 pm |
Bakers
Comment by Toya — August 5, 2017 @ 7:00 pm |
Stitches – They sold every color corduroys by Levi’s, bell bottom jeans, disco shirts for guys, cotton tops for ladies and bomber jackets. Played 80’s music…
Comment by Renea Suttle — September 4, 2017 @ 9:34 am |
Swiss Colony 1980
Comment by Joan — January 26, 2018 @ 3:46 am |
i definitely remember the Blue Hawaiian restaurant….Also, I remember buying my teenage daughter a pair of shoes at the Earth Shoe Store. Not cheap, nice shoes, but there in the leather was a plant….come to find out it was a marijuana plant!!
Comment by Goldie Williamson — January 12, 2019 @ 7:16 pm |
Coliseum Mall was my favorite and I spent my youth there too! There was Golden Pizza, which was right across from Mother’s Records and next to The Coffee Bean. There was also Spencer’s which was next to Hallmark, and Orange Julius. For cutting edge fashion, like parachute pants or baggies, there was DeeJays and Merry Go Round. My favorite all-time chocolate chip cookies were at The Original Cookie Company…thanks for the walk down memory lane!
Comment by Ted Winright — January 3, 2020 @ 10:02 pm |
Tiffany’s bakery. It was next to the fountain.
Comment by Sherry — February 2, 2020 @ 7:52 am |
Coliseum Mall also had Blue Hawaiian restaurant, Time Out arcade, Merry Go Round, the Limited, Casual corner, Stitches, Charge, Hot Dog on a Stick, the Sports Fan, the American Cookie Company, the Gap, Radio Shack, Gazebo Gifts….still thinking
Comment by Wendy Mynoymany — September 17, 2021 @ 7:55 pm |
Hi there. Loved your site and the great memories. I used to work in the Mall at Zales Jewelers for years. I’ve found a set of blue prints. Here’s the link below. There are quite a few more stores you could add to your list. Thank again for the memories.
Comment by Kim O — January 7, 2022 @ 9:36 pm |
Yeah, that’s my daily press scan from when the mall opened. He must have lifted it from my site.
Comment by Anita — January 8, 2022 @ 10:52 am |
Gent’s Mens Store, Fine’s Men Store, Mr Young Tailor, Kim’s Men Store are some stores that sold Mens fashion of that 70’s era
Comment by Myles Owens — January 22, 2022 @ 6:52 pm |